Chefs in Europe

I was born on 26 May 1980 in Kyiv. And although 34 years have passed, I can still clearly remember, when I decided to become a Chef. I was always amazed with how my father cooked, and although cook profession was considered women’s one at that time, in the 7th grade I was 100% sure that I would learn to become the best chef. My parents say my first attempts to cook something were quite successful, but perhaps they, like all other parents, wanted to support and inspire me.

One can think that Pizza&Grill has only pizza and grill food – similar to famous world Burger & Lobster chain, where you can eat everything provided it is burger or lobster. But despite its simple name, I work at Pizza&Grill in Odessa, and I specialise in a completely different food. My name is Ruslan Vycherov. I’m a Pastry Chef in the above mentioned chain in the city, where people still dry their clothes on ropes in yards of the central streets. And they shall be definitely multicoloured. This is Odessa!

My name is Olga Martynovskaya. I teach culinary arts at the Culinary Academy of Hector Jimenez Bravo, but I’m better known as the winner of the third season of the Ukrainian version of the Master Chef. I was born on September 2, 1989 in the small village Yuryevka, Ukraine, in a family of teacher and beekeeper. My childhood was very happy: fun, carefree, with lots of sun, air and games with the other kids. I enjoyed tree climbing and running. Mother used to call me «windy» — the fidget one… One of my mother’s favorite memories from my childhood is when I was 4.5 years old, and some guys from high school asked me, mocking: «Olga, do you know where babies come from?» — «I’ve learned where they come from for long time ago” – I said, — “but where did the very first person came from is still a mystery for me!». From an early age and till now my disadvantage and advantage in the meantime is curiosity, which I feel absolutely always and about everything that surrounds me. Parents never forced me to do something that I didn’t want. I was a freedom-loving child, and remained the same now. I wanted to become a doctor, but later changed my mind and confused in choosing a profession.

Victoria: I was born in May 1987 in my beloved Odessa. Since childhood food has been meant a lot for me. My dad was an excellent cook, and my mother always liked to “invent” something delicious, and surprise us. I have never had any problems like «fried onions», «fish», «greens», and so on, which are usually children have. I ate everything that was cooked deliciously. The food was not just a meal in our family. It was with sense; it was varied and beautiful. Anna: I was born in winter, January 1, 1988, here, in Odessa. I spent my childhood in a beautiful house with a large shady garden. My grandmother always had the goal «To feed Anna the best and healthy everything,» and I carefully hid meatballs from my soup, hoping not been exposed. I loved my mom’s adventures in cooking much more: rose-shape cookies with rose jam topping; three-layer ice cream cake, decorated with mulberries, we have gathered together, coming back from the beach; crunchy mini-toasts with colored herring butter. My mother always had unusual game approach to cooking and eating.

My name is Jordi Cruz Mas. I’m the chef of three restaurants in Barcelona: ABaC Restaurant, Angle Barcelona and Ten’s Tapas Restaurant. I am co-founder and creator of Angle 10′s. I was born north of bustling Barcelona, in a quiet and very small Catalan town of Manresa. Away from the coast and beaches, where women don’t always cover themselves with clothing.

My name is Jordi Joan. I work in the restaurant Ca l’Isidre since 1988, so during 26 years — and this, as I just realized most part of my life. I was born in Barcelona, sunny city with fabulous gastronomic possibilities. I didn’t have those thoughts that most people around: to become a bank employee or a director of the company, or for example, a museum worker? Catering business – it’s our family business. What important is business, really loved by the whole family.

I сome from Liguria, was born in Savona in 1979. This is a wonderful Italian region where you can find the best ingredients from the sea to the mountains. Since childhood I have always had a passion for the kitchen. My mother and grandmother like traditional Italian dishes, and I could say so, fell in love with them since the early years of my life. After I graduated from culinary school in the State Vocational School, I immediately decided to jump into the real world of gourmet, trying to work in the best restaurants, which I could find around Italy and France.

I was born and outgrow in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. This is the best city on earth. I have traveled and worked in different cities, and returned here, in this city. When I was 13 years old, in 1988, my parents moved to Begues, a small village in the mountains, 40 km from Barcelona. Since that time I began my fascination kitchen. I kept telling my parents that will be one of the best Chefs. And this goal I have carried through the years. After training in culinary school, I moved to Switzerland to work in «Beau Rivage palace», in order to understand how to construct the kitchen and I was in that place where I really started to learn something. As they say, you get experience in the work, but not in teaching.

My name is Tomas (Tomáš — including Czech diacritics) Kysela and I am a proprietor and chief-cook Cukrkávalimonáda. It is a small cafe and restaurant in the center of Prague. The unique method to translate my name into English is literally Sugarcoffeelemonade. I was born in 1968 here, in Prague. Then it yet there was a socialistic country, and we taught Russian in school. I am very inspired by this great country, USSR, and consider that people which able to build it are indeed strong personalities. But will go back to my café.

My name is Biljana Kebakoska Dimitrijević. I was born in 1965 in Kruševac(Serbia) but when in my country a difficult period began, my family and I moved to the Czech Republic, last twenty years I live in Prague. I´m not the chef. I´m a modern-day witch :) Cooking is magic, isn’t it? I am fearless and creative cook. I invent, mix, make and serve ice-cream for everyone to enjoy. Being a chef is not just about preparing delicious foods. Cooking is the way we live, fragrances that we smell, the colours we prefer, making people happy. I love the variety in my life — my time and attentions are evenly divided between family and food. I enjoy cooking, especially for my daughter Gala, aged 13. I enjoy teaching her, showing her new ingredients and she loves that I teach her.